More power to the White House, to the people – solar power, that is!

The White House during the Carter administration was outfitted with solar panels. Then during the administration that followed – Ronald Reagan’s – those panels came down.

In response, but years later in 2010, it had become a mission of the organization 350.org to locate and then re-deliver one of those Carter-era panels back to the place where originally installed.

In an Aug. 15, 2013 press release, the 350.org group wrote: “In September of 2010, 350.org found one of the original Carter era-panels at Unity College in Maine, where it had been heating water for the cafeteria. [350.org founder Bill] McKibben and a group of Unity students decided to take a roadtrip to return the panel to the White House and request that President Obama reinstall it on the roof or commission a new set of panels.

“Over 50,000 people also signed onto a petition led by Sungevity, along with other solar companies, calling on the President to take action.

“The White House initially declined the request, but reversed course a month later when then Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu announced that the White House would put up a new set of panels by the end of Spring 2011. The administration missed that deadline, but appears to be moving forward with the commitment today.”

In the U.S. in 2012, a record 3,313 megawatts of solar capability was added, according to 350.org.

Moreover, “The market size for the U.S. industry grew from $8.6 billion in 2011 to $11.5 billion in 2012, according to GTM Research,” 350.org noted.